Visa Issues

Visas to Thailand:Regulations covering the issuance of Thai visas are found in Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) section 5, 12 (1), 34 (15). Essentially, although every visitor to Thailand requires a valid passport, whether you need a visa to enter Thailand is dependent on the period of time you are expecting to stay in the kingdom and your nationality.

Visitors from a number of countries must obtain their visas before entering Thailand. Other visitors will be issued with a visa on arrival at an international airport, a border crossing, or an immigration checkpoint. A limited number of countries have agreements with Thailand that enable their citizens to enter Thailand without a visa. Visas are issued either by consulates and embassies outside Thailand, or the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police within Thailand.

30-day visits:Most visitors are able to stay in Thailand for up to 30 days without the need of a visa. This includes the citizens of the following countries:

Australia : Commonwealth of Australia

Austria : Republic of Austria

Belgium : Kingdom of Belgium

Brazil : Federative Republic of Brazil (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)

Bahrain : State of Bahrain

Brunei Darussalam : Negara Brunei Darussalam

Canada

Denmark : Kingdom of Denmark

Finland : Republic of Finland

France : French Republic

Germany : Federal Republic of Germany

Greece : Hellenic Republic

Hong Kong : Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Iceland : Republic of Iceland

Indonesia : Republic of Indonesia

Ireland : Republic of Ireland

Israel : State of Israel

Italy : Republic of Italy

Japan

Korea : Republic of Korea (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)

Kuwait : State of Kuwait

Luxembourg : Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco : Principality of Monaco

Netherlands : Kingdom of the Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway : Kingdom of Norway

Oman : Sultanate of Oman

Peru : Republic of Peru (visit of not exceeding 90 days permitted)

Philippines : Republic of the Philippines

Portugal : Republic of Portugal

Qatar : State of Qatar

Singapore : Republic of Singapore

Spain : Kingdom of Spain

South Africa : Republic of South Africa

Sweden : Kingdom of Sweden

Switzerland : Swiss Confederation

Turkey : Republic of Turkey

United Arab Emirates

United Kingdom : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United States of America

Vietnam : Socialist Republic of Vietnam

60-day visits:If you want to stay longer for a longer period you can obtain a two-month tourist visa from the Thai consulate or embassy in your country. However, if you are in Thailand and wish to extend your stay this can be done by obtaining a one-month extension from an immigration office (cost: 1,900 Baht).

Visits longer than 60 days:People wishing to stay in Thailand longer than two months require a 'Non-Immigrant Visa' - this is not a tourist visa and a person must meet certain requirements before being granted one (e.g. having family members in Thailand, etc.). A 'Non-Immigrant Visa' is issued for three months and can be extended to one year under certain circumstances.